- Hold videoconferences with colleagues from around the world for free

Wikispaces - Use a wiki to remove writer's block--allows you to make continual changes to your text, to move things around, and to keep a constant outline of the various sections of your writing in view via the navigation bar. If you cut a section, but think you might want to use it later? No problem--just make a "parts pile" page, paste the deleted section in, and find it later. Also removes the "Word crashed and I lost everything" phenomenon. Everything you type is captured in the history (as long as you save frequently), and you can always revert to a previous version of the paper if you change your mind midstream. GREAT for collaborative authoring as well.

- Maintain an annotated, sharable research library with searchable, printable notes and reports